Poll: Clean before cooking vs. Steaming them live

[flounderpounder]

The last time I CBC was back in 1964 I was single living in an apartment in Southwest Phila and bought three dozen crabs and after one too many beers cooked them one at a time in a coffee pot, they were he'll to put in. True story

should have used jersey crabs....could have done 6 at a time 

[Hobo]

should have used jersey crabs....could have done 6 at a time 

Low blow LOL I could have said it was one of those Giant Army Pots But it was a small pot

[Ron]

should have used jersey crabs....could have done 6 at a time 

[saltysenior]

its the same work right? still have to remove the shell and the guts....still have to throw the shells away..and dispose of all the raw guts and shells....how is it simpler?

i typed a list of reasons and i was at # 6 when i pressed the wrong button and POOF,it was gone.....started over and got to #8 ,and was really rollin' w/ about 3 more to go and POOF again...you're just going have to take my word for now,,, my finger is tired..

[Elm City Matt]

I clean them season them then steam.   Never understood dumping tons of spice onto the shell.  Like putting tobasco on the outside of a clam shell.  Also not a big fan of the mustard.

[red cx]

Born and raised on Maryland's eastern shore the only way I can do it is whole. I do know plenty of friends who CBC but there is just something about leaving the mustard and the shell on that just does it for me. 

[headbanger]

I tried CBC first time this weekend with my measly catch as I don't like the guts nor mustard.  Meat did not taste the same as when cooked in the shell.  No more CBC for this Marylander.  I will just remove everything but the nice white meat.  

[Crab Shack]

     CBC = COOK BEFORE CLEANING OR CLEAN BEFORE  COOKING

[Ron]

It's the title of the poll.

[Crab Shack]

 so CBC means clean before cooking?

[Ron]

Yes.

[Luna Sea 3]

Steam them alive.  The shell holds in the flavor.  If you steam them cleaned, you washed out all the flavor before you put it in the post.  If your grill them, I clean them first.. I also clean them first for the sauce..

[Crab Shack]

The shell also keeps in the toxins......no thank you...

[Hawkeye]

The shell also keeps in the toxins......no thank you...

I guess you should never eat softshell crabs then....

seriously though - i think your statement above is a bit overblown.  If crabs were high risk mercury items they would be on every single advisory /blogs for all the pregnant women out there...

Mercury is a non-biological toxin that simply cannot be broken down naturally.  This means whatever eats it, stores it until death.  The longer the animal (or crab) lives, the higher the probability and risk of high mercury content.  Per this site - the crabs average life span is 2 years.  Less if you see some of the sizes some people catch.  The FDA claims that on average a crab may have 0.07 ppm of mercury.  Not sure if these are the 7", 6" or 4 1/2" sized crabs...but that's still far far lower than a can of tunafish or the cod used in fish & chips.  

In other words, for any living organism to build up a meaningful amount of mercury - it has to either a) live a very long time (top of the line predators such as sharks, tuna come to mind) or b) live in a completely unsanitary/unsafe area and consume/absorb large quantities of said toxin.

I recognize that the mustard/hepatopancreas is where any contaminants will be captured there -  but unless you are consuming large quantities, I don't necessarily see a real risk, especially for a crab that barely lives more than 2 years before showing up on our dinner plates.  

source on the mercury content:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm115644.htm

[Crab Shack]

I didn't say mercury.  There are a lot of other pollutants besides mercury that according to studies, accumulate in the crab, especially in the "mustard".  I've always cleaned crabs before cooking for the very same reasons I clean fish before I cook them.  This "debate" has gone on ad nauseum.  To each their own.  I prefer to clean first, that's my prerogative.  I don't think that my statement is "overblown" at all, just common sense.

                                                                           

[crabbywaters]

It seems like grilling a crab would dry out the meat, like crab jerkey. I've never done this, nor will I ever. Just curious to how that works?

[Luna Sea 3]

It seems like grilling a crab would dry out the meat, like crab jerkey. I've never done this, nor will I ever. Just curious to how that works?

If I told you how i make them, you will never eat them any other way again.. trues me, not dry at all unless you overcook them, but thats with anything.  Crack the claw and juice just poors out.

[kingcrabber]

If I told you how i make them, you will never eat them any other way again.. trues me, not dry at all unless you overcook them, but thats with anything.  Crack the claw and juice just poors out.

hey Luna ...Im game..whens dinner at your place...   ill bring da bib 

[Luna Sea 3]

I didn't say mercury.  There are a lot of other pollutants besides mercury that according to studies, accumulate in the crab, especially in the "mustard".  I've always cleaned crabs before cooking for the very same reasons I clean fish before I cook them.  This "debate" has gone on ad nauseum.  To each their own.  I prefer to clean first, that's my prerogative.  I don't think that my statement is "overblown" at all, just common sense.

                                                                           

yes.. everyone has a preference.  But certain things just taste different.  I used to clean my first, then steam as well, for the main reason of saving work cleaning them afterwords.  They were defiantly different.  I decided to do 2 batches, each way, side by side.  The crabs with the shell on were more moist, all the flavor didn't get washed away like the pre cleaned ones.   Im not saying the pre cleaned ones weren't edible, they both were good, but sometimes there is a way to make food taste better.  Some people my not want to do it, some will. 

[rapp414]

It seems like grilling a crab would dry out the meat, like crab jerkey. I've never done this, nor will I ever. Just curious to how that works?

I've grilled them,they're great,key is low heat,tin foil doubled on grill,baste them with garlic and butter.Of course they're CBCed,I know thats a felony in Md.Dan,you gotta hang with me at the Wye party,we're gonna CBC some crabs,grill them,saute them in butter and garlic,use them in pasta sauce,then I want you to go back to Md and start converting them folks to eat crabs properly.I mean do you cook cow before or after it's butchered ? Do you cook a chicken with the feathers on and the guts inside,ITS WRONG I TELL YOU WRONG !!